SC refuses to hear plea challenging renaming of Maharashtra’s Aurangabad

NEW DELHI, (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging the decision to rename Aurangabad in Maharashtra to ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar’, saying Bombay High Court is seized of the matter.

”Appear before Bombay High Court now. The high court is seized of the matter,” a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala told the petitioner’s counsel.

Mohammed Mushtaq Ahmed had challenged the approval granted by the state and the central governments to a proposal to change the name of the Maharashtra city.

The Aurangabad divisional commissioner, in a letter dated March 4, 2020, proposed that the city’s name be changed to ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar’.

As soon as the matter came up for hearing, the counsel appearing for the state government told the bench that the high court is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday (March 27). The court then said that the matter should be decided there first. (PTI)